With a 22-year career and four championships under his belt, anyone would say LeBron James is the most recognizable player in the NBA. However, one of his former teammates claimed that the Los Angeles Lakers icon could be even more famous if not for the hazards of social media.
The King has undoubtedly been the face of the NBA for two decades. Even as the league transitions into the era of players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, Luka Doncic, and Victor Wembanyama, James remains one of the greatest basketball idols in the world.
However, some believe LeBron deserves even more recognition from fans. Danny Green, who shared a locker room with James in 2019 and 2020 with the Lakers, asserted that the King’s reign could be even more extensive if not for the ubiquitous social media.
LeBron vs. social media
In a recent interview at the All the Smoke podcast, Green explained that people are oversaturated with LeBron’s image due to his social media presence. According to the Philadelphia 76ers guard, platforms like X, TikTok, Instagram, and others have stripped James of the mystique that other NBA idols have had.
“Social media’s kind of ruined that for a lot of bigger guys, because I feel like that aura, I saw it a lot earlier on,” Green said. He explained, “When he was in Cleveland, he was a rockstar, by the time he got to LA, when he was in Miami, I feel like they had so much access to him.”
Green, who won a championship with LeBron in 2020, noted that people can see LeBron all the time: “They see him on social media, they see him in clubs or at parties.” He lamented, “People don’t idolize him as much, and they criticize him like we’re able to criticize all those top guys even more because of social media.”
James and social media fame
LeBron is the fifth most-followed athlete on social media. As of May 2024, the Lakers forward had accumulated 238.8 million followers across his X, Facebook, and Instagram accounts. Although he’s still far behind soccer players Cristiano Ronaldo (908 million) and Lionel Messi (502 million), there’s no doubt that James is an internet star.
The numbers make it clear that the last thing LeBron needs is fame. However, Green is referring to the mystique that a bit of mystery surrounding a celebrity creates, something that players in other eras used to take advantage of to become legends.
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